We Always Have Tonight
by BarnumOnTheBrain
Summary: Arthur visits Guinevere the night Uther banishes her from Camelot. My imagination runs wild following some of the events in series 3, episode 10 of BBC's Merlin - set somewhere in the middle of the episode The Queen of Hearts. Short, smutty fluff. ArthurxGwen pairing. Oneshot.


**My first ever Arwen, a little smutty fluff. I hope you all enjoy - my favourite pairing in Camelot, possibly all of the BBCverse.**

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Arthur walked slowly out of the palace walls and down into the lower town. He knew these streets so well. It had been here that he had first ever seen her.

_He had been a boy of no more than twelve, play-fighting with Leon, the boy who would soon become his most loyal knight, as their fathers, the King and Lord Ormond, rode alongside them cheerfully to lead them out for a hawking session. The rest of the hawking party had taken the backstreets out to the land they would use beyond the walls of Camelot, but Uther enjoyed riding through his streets. The people feared him, but they also had a great respect for their King, and cheered for him and his bright young son, the son that would one day become their king._

_Leon had just given Arthur an especially spectacular shove, and Arthur had gone stumbling backwards into the side of a house, slamming next to the door. He was slightly winded as Leon cackled victoriously, and turned his face away angrily to catch his breath without having to see his friend's smirk. A pair of big, brown eyes blinked at him in the crack between the door and the frame and he cocked his head to one side. They were very pretty. He grinned lopsidedly at the pair of eyes, seeing a slither of the face that belonged to them. He saw the smile returned shyly before his father barked his name from some way down the bustling street now._

_"Hi!" he said cheerfully, before pushing himself off from the house wall and back down the street, tackling Leon to the floor as he did so in revenge. "Hey Leon, who's that girl in that house?" he asked after pulling Leon back to his feet, pointing back to the house where he saw the eyes._

_"Oh that's Gwen," Leon replied cheerfully, running his hand through his curly hair. "Her mother is one of Mother's maids. Gwen and her brother are good fun."_

_Arthur thought what a pretty name that was, but aside from that he gave her little thought again for a while. Being a young prince of the realm was of course, very busy work._

_When Arthur saw her two years later, the girl was a maid for his father's ward, Morgana. He soon befriended her and learnt that her name was Guinevere, although she said her friends called her Gwen. Somehow, he never felt quite right calling her that. After all, he was the Prince of Camelot, the heir to the throne, and she was but a serving girl. Well, that was what he told Morgana when she asked why he did not call his friend by her abbreviation, but he felt perhaps it was something different. It was perhaps that whilst he never felt that they were quite friends, he also felt that they were so much more._

And so he found himself walking towards her house, a cloak wrapped tightly around him against the stares of the people around him. It was late in the evening, the city was about to go to sleep and he had to reach hers soon. He had to see her. A solider had already been sent to tell her the news of her banishment – Uther had refused to allow Arthur to go himself – and so she would be packing already, but he had to see her. He had to explain.

The smell of burning wood filled his nose as he reached her door and the flickering light of her candles peeked through the shutters of her window into the quiet street. He raised his hand to the door and knocked. Her voice called him in and the door swung open.

She was stood next to her rickety table, folding linen on it. Her eyes were red in the soft orange glow of the wax candles around her, that much he could see. He closed the door behind him and lowered his hood.

"Arthur," she said, looking surprised, nervous. "I didn't know I was to expect you this evening."

He stood in front of the door, looking around at her home. Most of it was packed into wicker baskets in preparation for her departure. Clearly she had been told early this afternoon. She had been given most of the day to linger on it. Arthur felt angry. He felt betrayed. His father was upheaving Guinevere's life and sending her away all because he wanted to use his son for political advantage. It disgusted Arthur and he found his words were angry.

"I'm only sorry I couldn't come sooner."

She looked taken aback by his harsh tone and bowed her head towards him, hoping her respect of his position would pacify him. "My lord, I apologise for any offence I may have caused."

Crap. He had barked at her, his anger at Uther spilling out towards her. "No Guinevere, it is I who should apologise. I am not angry with you. And the way I feel about my father right now cannot be put into words."

Guinevere raised her head and looked at him across the room. Every part of her ached for him, from her lips down to her fingertips right down to her toes. He was the only reason she ever wanted to stay. She didn't want to leave him. She couldn't imagine life without him.

"Come here," he said, his tone suddenly so soft. His arms opened for her, his cloak falling to the floor, and she all but ran to him. And suddenly, at the touch of his body, the feel of his warmth wrapped around her in his tight embrace, she knew Camelot was not her home – her home was here. Standing in his arms, she knew she could be anywhere and be home. So long as she was him, the world did not matter.

She pulled away after a moment, and looked into his light blue eyes. She knew there were few words left for tonight. Words would be spoken in the morning, arrangements made, but for tonight, silence would be perfect. He raised a hand to her soft cheek and caressed her dark skin. She shivered at his touch, the feelings it sent through her entire body making her feel alive. With no grand couch to share, she led him slowly over to where her creaky old bed stood and sat down on it. He knelt in front of her, taking her hands into his and looking her square in the eye.

"I am not a man of great words," Arthur began, captivated by the way the candlelight shone all over her, casting shadows this way and that across her skin. "I am a man with very few words that matter, and so I wish to keep this brief. Guinevere, I am in love with you. I have been for a very long time. And I always will be. Regardless of what my father tries to do, I know my feelings for you are pure and true and will stand the test of time. We will figure out a way to still be together, I swear to it. This is not the end of our lives together – it is only the start."

Gwen's heart pounded in her chest as he spoke. The way his lips curved around each word, the way his fingers tightened on hers as he spoke of love, they filled her head and heart, making her feel dizzy. "But Arthur," she began, logic fighting the haze now clouding her mind as his fingers slowly traced up her forearms. "How can it be so? I love you with all my heart, but even I know that you cannot stop your father, how do you plan our lives together when we could be kingdoms apart?"

"Because I know there are some forces in this world that cannot be stopped by laws of lands. You and I will find a way."

"But Arthur-" she began, feeling anguish mix with exhilaration as she thought of life without him whilst his hands stroked her so softly.

"Shh, my love," Arthur whispered, his face now very close to hers. "Let us just have this moment."

She needed little persuasion, and the moment his lips pressed against hers, all other thoughts left her mind.

He was careful with her, not wanting to frighten her or make her feel as if he was taking advantage of her, but he felt the desire in her kiss. She quickly wove her hands into his sandy hair, holding his head so close to hers and he couldn't stop the moan that escaped his lips at the feel of her tongue gently pushing inside of his mouth.

"I love you, Arthur," she murmured, pulling away from him slightly, her breath now heavy.

"My Guinevere," he whispered breathlessly, sliding her skirts up above her knees.

She pulled away from him, settling herself at the head of the bed with her hair sprawled out against the soft pillows. "My prince," she said with a smile, holding out a hand to him.

He took it and slowly kissed each of her fingers, feeling the desire inside of him grow. Her eyes watched his every movement as if fascinated and she felt the need for him become almost overwhelming. At last, he leaned down on top of her, letting part of his weight rest on her, minimalizing the distance between them. As his lips came crashing down against hers again, she fumbled to relieve him of his cotton undershirt. It soon fell to the floor and she had to hold back a groan of desire as she felt his bare skin beneath her hands.

His own hands worked quickly to untie the laces of her bodice as his lips pressed against her neck, leaving a trail of hot kisses down to her collarbones and she could not hold back a quiet cry of his name. She needed him so very badly.

Her bodice fell away, her undershirt falling open and leaving her torso bare to him. Arthur almost felt the air go out of him as he drank in her half-naked beauty, running light fingers from her shoulder, across her breast and down her stomach to the top of her skirts. They too soon fell to the floor, along with his breeches that she hastily pushed from his hips.

"I love you," Gwen gasped as his lips once more traced her body, running from her neck to her breast. He teased her nipple between his lips, one hand running slowly across her waist, the other finding the sweet spot between her legs.

She wove her hands into his hair and pulled him up to kiss his lips once more, their tongues swirling and pressing quickly and passionately together as his tip grazed against her burning entrance.

"Please, Arthur, I need you," she moaned between kisses, hardly able to bear the tension between them.

Needing no more permission, Arthur slid into her fully and they both groaned in pleasure.

Only once before had they laid together, and Arthur had been constantly worried about hurting her. This time, he was not afraid. He just wanted to love her.

They began a slow pace, their hips rocking together as hands pressed all over the other's body, lips never parting. Their pace quickened as the tension between them steadily grew and Arthur clung on, determined to fulfil her before himself. Each groan, each cry of her name, pushed Gwen closer, the feel of him teasing her breasts, the softness of his skin under her hands, it was all beautiful. When she finally came, pleasure washing over her, there was only one thing that was in her mind – Arthur. He came moments after her, the final cry of his name pushing him over the edge, and he collapsed on top of her, their slick bodies hot against the other.

They lay side by side all night, speaking few words, wrapped in the other's arms. They knew that, come daybreak, words would have to be spoken, plans made and goodbyes said, but for now, in this moment, they could pretend that nothing beyond those four walls existed. For that night, there was just them.

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**Please feel free to drop me a review, good or bad, let me know how you think I write these characters, or anything at all! I really hope you have all enjoyed it, and thank you to all of my readers for your fantastic support!**


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